$25,000 daily bill for St Ann’s food

The North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) is paying $25,000 daily to the School Nutrition Programme (SNP) to supply meals to St Ann’s Hospital after its kitchen was ordered closed last Wednesday by the County Medical Officer of Health, St George East. 

The SNP began providing breakfast, lunch and dinner for the hospital’s 700 patients last Thursday.  A source indicated that the meals have been arriving late and patients were complaining about the meager rations. Meanwhile, repairs have not begun on the kitchen area, although the Health Ministry issued a release stating that this would happen at the end of this week. Newsday has been informed that repairs to the kitchen are expected to begin sometime next week as the NWRHA has received quotations for the work.  Arrangements were also reportedly made for the kitchen at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital to supply 600 meals to St Ann’s thereby cutting down on the number supplied by the SNP. PoSGH was initially supplying approximately 300 “soft meals”. But the source has refuted these claims stating that the NWRHA has arranged for the SNP to continue providing meals until next week. The NWRHA is making plans to refurbish an area at the St Ann’s hospital to accommodate the kitchen, however the Public Health Inspector has to visit the site and determine its suitability.